Comments on: Less poker, more Hot Wheels

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:44:08 +0000

@Esther - Actually, the race track above isn’t my track at it, but it was my inspiration. You can see my final race track here - http://bit.ly/3JDyfR - I just took some planks, hinged them together and then lay orange track on it. It’s about 15-feet long and folds up nicely so I can store it in my garage. Really easy DIY weekend project.

If you have a Hot Wheels brand playset and want to extend it, the orange track is about the only way to do it. I went to Toys R Us and found individual track pieces for sale for a dollar, so I bought a ton. My race track project started with the V-Drop set like you mentioned. It came with the finish line and plenty of track to get started.

I don’t have any video of my final track racing…but I should, so I’ll be doing that!

I run a site dedicated to Hot Wheels racing over at RedlineDerby.com where I have lots of ideas and tips for building race tracks and racing cars. It’s a little hardcore in some areas, but it will hopefully give you some ideas for projects for your son.

By: ESTHER

ESTHER — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:56:58 +0000

Hi there, was wondering if the picture on the article was your final race track! Cool!!! My sons 7th birthday is coming up and he loves hot wheels, he has the “Hot wheels 4 lane race way” which opens up to a 6’ of track, featuring a fair-start trigger and automatic flags to determine 1st through 4th place. Its actually preaty cool! I just need to make it longer. You can actually connect track sections at the end, but Im trying to keep the trigger from the beginning and the automatic flag at the end. Any suggestions on how to make a longer track? Did you make any youtube video of your track? Should I just go ahead and make it all out of the orange sections, did you try the 2 LANE V DROP SET, 6 Long gravity drop with, winner gets a checked flag at the end! REALLY OPEN TO ANY COMMENTS, Thanks! Esther

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 04:51:00 +0000

The track quest is over! A stop at Wal-Mart for some donuts led to finding packs of track. Yes, just a pack of track sections, 5-feet total per pack. Better yet, only $2.00 — so I got all the packs they had, about 20-feet total.

Now my ideas for a big boy’s Hot Wheels track are easier than ever, and I didn’t have to piece together expensive track sets. Thanks, Hot Wheels, for listening to our demands!

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:35:43 +0000

After all I just said about PVC pipe, I see this picture - http://tinyurl.com/2egje4 - and think simple is the way to go. Silly me. A cheap step ladder, some thin planks, and maybe some hinges for folding storage is all I need.

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:05:12 +0000

After quick spotting from Thee, I think I found a good start to the drag track problem. The V-Drop Track (http://tinyurl.com/2xn4fp) which can be found at Target for $18 comes with probably a good 9 or 10 feet of straight track.

It comes with spacer connectors so it keeps the track parallel and also has a launcher and finish line flag.

The launcher is an elevator dohickey because the toy is made to hang over the top of a door. However, the track itself is just normal track. The elevator is about 4-feet tall, so it can be used on lower edges, like chairs or counter tops. It works pretty well.

I’m still trying to find out a way to build some sort of structure to support the elevator/launcher - maybe PVC pipe?? And if I can get a solid plan out of that I might by another set with another 10″ of track and just add it to the first. What will result is a 2-lane drag strip that could be 15-20″ long — perfect for what I’m suggesting in the article.

I may need some help engineering the scaffold structure, so stay tuned or keep an eye on the forum.

By: andrew

andrew — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:29:01 +0000

excellent topic!

Nice to see some ‘adult’ hotwheels interest out there.

I have been trying to get my hands on some track with little success.PLEASE share with me if you guys come up with a suitable alternative. cheers.

By: Big G

Big G — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:39:07 +0000

If we used something thin, like 1/4″ underlayment, it would be flexible enough to bend. We could use two layers of that so that we would get the strength of thicker wood, with the flexibility to make a nice curve.

G+

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:41:08 +0000

They’re Hot Wheels cars…so they’re like an inch and a half wide, if that. Check the link the story, it’ll go to racegrooves.com and you can see how the tracks fit to the cars.

My concern is the bending of the wood to make a nice slope. I agree, I think some smooth plywood or panel would work great, but I wonder about the rails to keep it straight…how would those bend?

One thought I has was tube. Use plywood for the base, then get some small diameter plastic hose so it is flexible and glue it to the plywood.

By: Big G

Big G — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:59:31 +0000

I think they’re just a piece of plywood for the base of the track, with a strip of trim, maybe 2″ wide by 1/4″ high to keep the cars in a straight line glued to it. it wouldn’t be hard to make sections that interlock so that the track can be disassembled and stored easily.

If we can get the regulations for the cars, it’ll help us figure out how to build the track.

G+

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:16:18 +0000

Hey, if you want to build gizmos for the finish line and launch, go for it. I still need to figure out how to build a decent track. If not from actual racetrack then with wood and whatever else I can find. A trip to Home Depot is certainly in order.

If anyone has any ideas to constructing a decent track, let me know or use the Forum.